TRANSLATING AND THE COMPUTER 32 Conference

18-19 November 2010, De Vere West One (Oxford Circus) London

This will be the thirty-second conference in the series. This event draws together a diverse group of delegates, who gain new insights and brainstorm ideas on the use of information technology for translation. In general, the areas looked at are:

• language resources exchange
• tools, technologies and standards
• web-based collaboration models
• translation process control

The conference is a meeting point for translation professionals from:

• large international and multilateral institutions such as those of the European Union and the United Nations
• translation agencies across the world
• professional translators
• tools and technology developers
• researchers and academics

A range of topics will be covered, these include (but are not limited to):

• Machine translation (MT) related topics
• Speech in the translation process
• CAT tools including TM and various translation aids
• Terminology
• Localisation
• Standards and sharing
• Around the translation process
• Training and Research
• Other topics

The keynote speakers this year are Olivier Pasteur, WTO, (Day One) and Phil Verghis, The Verghis Group (Day Two).

Day One Keynote:

Challenges at World Trade Organization: Evaluation and implementation of a Statistical

Machine Translation System, Olivier Pasteur, World Trade Organization, Switzerland

Mr Pasteur will address the ongoing challenges of integrating statistical machine translation into the translation workflow of an organization such as his, in which significant requirements for technical correctness must be balanced against those for political sensitivity, while fending with such matters as talented but yet not computer-oriented professional translators, budget constraints and complex workflows, tight deadlines, high quality requirements as well as those dealing with translators’ reluctance to accept the fundamental changes in their work that the integration of machine translation entails.

Day Two Keynote:

Implications of Culture on Support (and Translation), Phil Verghis, Verghis Group
You have your hands full as you bid for work across the world. Ever wonder what  your customers are going through as they try to add globalization, virtual teams, multi-cultural relationships to the work they are already chartered to do? The good news is that once you understand the pressures support is under, and have a framework to better understand the differences between cultures, you can begin looking at your service from a people, process and technology perspective. You might be able to make modifications that aren’t particularly expensive or difficult to implement and yet add better margins. This presentation will draw on research by cultural experts and cultural anthropologists to help you differentiate between a ‘rules based’ culture and a ‘relationship based’ culture, and the profound implications for people, process, technology  and communication across languages in a service environment.

Full details, including the latest programme, registration fees and how to exhibit, can be found at:

www.aslib.com

I hope you can attend and I look forward to hearing from you.

Nicole Adamides

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